Fontana received a degree from Buffalo State College in Theater Arts, and tried being a playwright. As luck would have it, Blythe Danner and her children Jake and Gwyneth Paltrow went to see one of his shows that was playing for a summer run in Massachusetts. They all enjoyed it so much that they told their father/husband, Bruce Paltrow to go see it. He never did. Feeling guilty because Gwyneth told Fontana he would come and see the show, Paltrow asked Fontana if he would like to write a script for the new show he was developing - St. Elsewhere. He wrote the episode and didn't leave until the show was over.

After St. Elsewhere finished, Fontana didn't expect to continue working in tv. However, Barry Levinson asked him if he wanted to work on a new cop show he was developing. Fontana was hesitant because Hill Street Blues had just finished and he didn't think another cop show could hold up to that standard. But Levinson eventually won him over and a partnership was born.